In order to achieve a green economy, green society, and a world fit for children, a radical transformation in our policies, technologies, patterns of production and consumption, and our foci of innovation is required. A wide range of sustainable development strategies have emerged, led by UN agencies, international and national organizations as well as civil society. These practices have demonstrated their potential to engage and empower even the most vulnerable and marginalized communities equipping them with values, skills and knowledge to thrive and contribute towards a green society. Yet, while there is evident success of these transformative practices, they often retain a status of “good examples” and are seldom up-scaled and mainstreamed to become a core strategy for a green economy.

This event, organized by the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Programme at UNU-IAS in partnership with UNICEF, UNDP and UNESCO, will explore multi-stakeholder partnerships and strategies that enable the implementation and concretization of sustainable development in areas such as urban planning, education, disaster risk reduction, innovation, research and more. It will also show that, in order to upscale sustainability practices at all levels, new and innovative forms of education and capacity development are required. The ESD Programme at UNU-IAS will place a particular emphasis on the ways in which its initiatives have created more effective information and knowledge generation and sharing on sustainable development, as well as showcasing case studies on learning as a transformative tool towards sustainability.

Tertiary education plays a critical role in shaping the future. The leaders of today and tomorrow tend to be university graduates and they will have a strong hand in preparing the skilled workforce needed for a green economy. There are many examples from around the world that have shown the importance of tertiary education in sustainable development efforts and the critical need for continued support for these types of initiatives.

This event, co-organized by the Education for Sustainable Development Programme at UNU-IAS in collaboration with more than 15 partner organizations and government ministries will highlight the important role of tertiary education in sustainable development and will answer the following key questions:

• How can governments, NGOs, businesses and tertiary education instigate the necessary shift towards sustainable development and the transition to a Green Economy?

• How do we unlock the potential of tertiary education sector to transform society?

• What role should tertiary education play in creating and participating in the institutional framework for sustainable development?

• What funding and support mechanisms will need to be provided to ensure the success of tertiary education in sustainable development efforts?

This symposium, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) and the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV), will examine the role of public administration in contributing to deliver the “institutional framework for sustainable development and green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication”, the two main themes of the Rio+20 Conference. The sessions will cover the new set of reforms in public management, organizations and policies in the different levels that are needed to create greener economic growth in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. During the event, the special issue of the journal Public Administration and Development (PAD, Wiley-Blackwell) on Rio+20 will be launched.

The production and consumption of goods and services drives economies and greatly influences society at large. To build a socially just economy and a more sustainable society, we must inevitably focus on making our consumption and production systems more sustainable as well -- sustainable not only in terms of market growth and resilience, but also in terms of productive non-market relations, ecosystem health, quality of life and the well-being of all involved.

This event, co-organized by the Education for Sustainable Development Programme at UNU-IAS and the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, will explore how learning and education can lead to more sustainable systems of consumption and production and how to promote uptake of such efforts at national and international levels. The event will also help identify new, multistakeholder partnerships among local, regional and global networks that can facilitate transformative learning and action research for sustainability.

The Satoyama Initiative is a comprehensive effort to benefit biodiversity and human well-being through promoting the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in human-influenced natural environments. The Initiative has demonstrated global appeal across sectors and was specifically recognized in 2010 at CBD COP10. Human-influenced natural environments or socio-ecological production landscapes (SEPLs) are found all around the world; they have been formed and maintained through sustainable land use, and support human life by providing various goods and services.

During the side event, there will be presentations by leading experts and an in-depth panel discussion examining the effectiveness and usefulness of the Satoyama Initiative. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of new business models based on sustainable land use including mosaic landscape management.

The side event will be enriched by a broad spectrum of presenters with long careers in a variety of areas, but united by common interests. They will draw on a wealth of experience working in international organizations, governments, and the private sector. In conclusion, there will be a discussion of how the Satoyama Initiative can further contribute to a green economy as it continues to follow its vision of realizing societies in harmony with nature.

The International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change hosted by the United Nations University (UNU-IHDP) is proud to announce the launch of its Inclusive Wealth Report 2012.

The Inclusive Wealth Report 2012 presents an index that measures the wealth of nations by carrying out a comprehensive analysis of a country’s productive base and its capital assets, including manufactured, human, and natural capital. The Inclusive Wealth Index (IWI) was developed based on the notion that indicators used in the past to measure human societies’ success have proven to be insufficient. Current indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP) and the Human Development Index (HDI) fail to reflect the state of natural resources or ecological conditions, and both focus exclusively on the short term, without indicating whether national policies are sustainable in the long term.

The IWI aims to address these shortcomings by incorporating variables overlooked by other metrics. The Inclusive Wealth Report 2012 presents a framework for policy-makers and planning authorities to monitor the development of a country’s human well-being over time. It shows if a country is on a sustainable track and can provide guidance on the road towards a Green Economy.

The Inclusive Wealth Report 2012 is a joint initiative of UNU-IHDP and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) and the Natural Capital Project.